Comments on: Church Buildings Poll Results

By: worshipVJ

worshipVJ — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:11:03 +0000

I like the last few comments.
If design/architecture is an intentional element for a church, then i always ask “what about the space is visually pointing people to God? What is going on visually (architecture, screens, lights, etc) that is leading people into worship?”
Cameron & TC, you will find this poll interesting. It asks non-Christians what they would prefer.
http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0,1703,A%253D167438%2526M%253D200906,00.html
This also opens up an interesting debate. who is the church building for? believers or non-believers? who are worship services for? lots to get into here…
check this blog out, too… it’s by Camron Ware (visualworshiper.com) and he’s the one who told me about the poll mentioned above.
http://visualworshiper.com/blog/2009/05/not-of-this-world/

By: T.C. Porter

T.C. Porter — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:40:49 +0000

Correction: I was concurring with Cameron.

By: T.C. Porter

T.C. Porter — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:39:50 +0000

I concur with Kevin. Also, to what extent are your results revealing of your reader base? Ironic that readers of a site “marketing sucks” prefer “a snazzy, contemporary church building.” What people want should not be our gauge. Jesus did not want to die (“take this cup from me”). … More evidence our Church is worshiping the wrong god.

By: Cameron Horsburgh

Cameron Horsburgh — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:56:05 +0000

I’m going to guess that this poll was answered primarily (only?) by Christians. I’m more interested in what non-Christians would have to say about it.
To answer the question, though, I’m most likely to go to a church where I already knew someone who would meet me at the front door. All the rest is, for the first ten minutes at least, quite irrelevant!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:19:18 +0000

Good stuff! We design churches all over the country and the contempoary look and feel is what the church wants. Thanks for the facts and figures!

By: John Panico

John Panico — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:52:51 +0000

As always, good stuff. But while that may be a preference of where they are willing to go, I am kind of more interested in the yes/no on each category if they would avoid going to a church that is secular, or a non-traditional style church? I would think that might have a little more value to churches starting out.
Thanks again!
John Panico
http://www.unitychurchmarketing.com
http://www.twitter.com/johnpanico